The Creative Mind, Integrating the Arts
When we think of the arts,
we envision the geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci, Andy Warhol, Raphael, and so
forth. But what we don’t see is the big picture here that we can all be ‘artists’
if we just use our creative minds. Art can be anything whether a simply
line or shape, a banal or found object, abstract expressionism, or photography that can be analyzed through cultural and social understandings. Art is a wide array of interpretations that go through a creative process in the making and developing of one’s insights. I personally believe this is true as I have witnessed various kinds of art that are
line or shape, a banal or found object, abstract expressionism, or photography that can be analyzed through cultural and social understandings. Art is a wide array of interpretations that go through a creative process in the making and developing of one’s insights. I personally believe this is true as I have witnessed various kinds of art that are
Yet, we know that
passing a test or an exam is so important and quite the norm but students
should not only be educated on learning and memorizing facts, numbers, and
figures. Within the twenty-first century, creativity is a key skill in which it
is interweaved throughout the curriculum, instruction and assessment; teachers
use the creative process to plan the curriculum and assess student achievement (Drake,
Reid, & Kolohon, 2014).
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| https://bornstoryteller.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/define-art.jpg |
As future educators,
creativity is important as it strives to help students to discover their ideas
in a much broader understanding, while integrating it in the classroom to help
build and grow students’ creative abilities. But it is not to suggest that the
arts is only made for the art classroom, but it can emerge to other concepts
and disciplines, making it more meaningful and innovative, and opening up
students to ‘new ways of seeing’. If teachers glance at this new idea, we can
build on something more great and enduring. For example, a teacher can look at
how the arts can cross paths within the mathematical
discipline. Take for instance of a learning experience within the classroom
that involves studying the human figure. The math part comes in when it can
help to accurately depict the human body and portrait drawing using sight
measurements (La Haye & Naested, 2014). In this case, a student can build a
concrete and clear understanding of the two subjects, interconnecting them to
one another. In my past experience of
taking general art courses, I actually learned how to incorporate math into my
artworks. When I wanted to enlarge an image onto my drawing support, I would
have difficulty in drawing it so precisely and proportionately. So I did it
with some mathematical help, grids. Artists have used this technique to redraw
accurate drawings, and to distort and enlarge them (La Haye & Naested,
2014). The grid is an easy method; I can draw the grid over the reference
photo, and then draw the exact grid again on the paper. By focusing on one
square, and taking the time to accurately draw the lines and contours, the
image would be finished in no time!
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| http://www.billybear4kids.com/Rozi/4Shawn/4GridArt.gif |
Not only do we examine the mathematical approach, but we can also look into
the idea of fostering literacy
through the use of photography. Photographs are a way in depicting memories and
stories to be remembered and told. Students can analyze text by engaging in
photographs, provoking and questioning the intent and purpose. The students can
voice and describe their observations, ideas, and interpretations, as well as
listen to the ideas of their peers, demonstrating the act of cooperative
learning and collaboration. For example, an educator can take a photograph which
would be unfamiliar to the students and the teacher can ask questions such as: What
do you think the intention of the photographer was? What is the power relation
of the gaze between the spectators and the subject? How does the photograph
relate to you? Are there any stories that can be told just by looking at it?
These questions help to probe students’ thinking in a critical manner.
But, it is also
suggested that students not only learn how to “read” literally but they can
also build on their writing strategies. We can examine how a teacher can teach composition writing to English-language learner students by utilizing
photographs; a photograph is like a story, where the student can write a
composition about the piece, and it is the photograph that serves as the
subject matter or topic of the writing exercise (Chukueggu, 2011). In this way,
the exercise becomes interesting as the students work with an inspiration, a
reference at their fingertips, making
inferences about the photograph and thinking about what it tells them.
Seven Oaks Elementary School integrates arts into classroom lessons as much as possible to get students educated about its value and importance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzTgW0JhQ74
Check out these different interpretations and analyses of integrating creativity:
- How Integrating Arts Into Other Subjects Makes Learning Come Alive.
- Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core.
In concluding this
blog, creativity is important in fostering students' well-beings. Teachers need to see
the BIG idea that creativity is not only designated for the art room, but anywhere
within the classroom and in the curriculum. They just need to make sure that
they remind students of the value of creativity, and to give every possible
chance and opportunity to demonstrate it. I believe that this is
truthful in its essence because as a pursuing arts teacher, I would want my
students to be exposed to this type of learning experience. Igniting the
creative mind for the students is essential as we do not want darkness to
overtake it.
Albert Einstein once stated: Creativity
is Contagious.Pass it On.
So
good luck in discovering your teaching journey…
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| http://www.collativepro.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Creativity-s.jpg |
References
Chukueggu, C. (2011). An integration of language and
visual arts in english language teaching.
Global
Education Journal, 3, 129-135.
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014).
Interweaving curriculum and classroom
assessment: Engaging
the 21st-century learner. Canada: Oxford University Press.
La Haye, R. & Naested, I. (2014). Mutual
interrogation: A celebration of alternate perspectives
for visual art and math
curriculum. Canadian Review of Art
Education: Research &
Issues,
41
(2), 185-201. Retrieved from : A celebration of alternate perspectives
for visual art and math
curriculum. Canadian Review of Art
Education: Research &
Issues,
41
(2), 185-201. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.brocku.
ca/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=15ccb127-8c70-4818-a544-4905405c6c20@sess
ionmgr4004&hid=4202.
