Arts Value

During arts instruction, I believe that a special form of learning occurs that is different from other areas
of academics. A childs participation in the arts involves two processes: one where a role or artistic style is
taken in and internalized and then second, their role or artistic style is externalized in a way that is unique to the
artist. Often this process of internalization and externalization harbors new ways of thinking, which we often
refer to as the studio habits of mind. These habits of mind are not accurately measured through standardized
tests, nor do they develop, as dramatically during other academic areas, yet they are incredibly valuable to those
who learn them. In her book, Studio Thinking 2: the Real Benefits of Arts Education, Lois Hetland emphasizes
the importance of studio habits of mind when she says, It is well established that intelligence and thinking
ability are far more complex than what we choose to measure on exams (9). The arts teach far more than how
to be successful in an end result of a project. Rather, the process it takes one to get from the starting point to the
finishing point that is of real importance, which is vital to a complete educational experience.
Despite the numerous benefits that come from arts education, funding and support are the missing piece
to our educational experience. In doing so, we are denying students the opportunity for personal development.
Again, Hetland supports her defense for the arts, claiming, Every discipline involves craft, and just like the
visual artist, practitioners of other disciplines need alertness and inclination in addition to skill to practice their
craft well (51). What Hetland means is that the studio habits of mind, acquired through the arts, are applicable
to all areas of life, which is important to a child who asks, When am I going to use what I am learning?"
During my time at Bahia Vista Elementary School, I have witnessed students in my group modeling
studio habits of mind. First, on our first day of giving an art lesson, we taught the class how to use lines to draw
three-dimensional shapes. In our activity, students used parallel lines to configure a cube or a box. I noticed
that it was difficult for the students to observe what we modeled and trust that their artwork would turn out the
same. This required them to break away from what they knew so they could see accurately and directly
(Hetland, 10). Second, after drawing their boxes, students were given the choice to transform it into an object.
This developed their skill to form a new idea mentally and translate it to their drawing through the process of
envisioning. Last, the student expressed their ideas by stretching and exploring away from what they thought
they were capable of doing.
The arts are vital because of the capacity that people grow within themselves when they are creating,
observing, envisioning, stretching, and exploring something new. They teach us how we learn, giving more
value to the process rather than the sole focus on a perfect outcome, which is the essence of our educational
experience over a lifetime.


Arts Obstacles

During a time when President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have recognized
that our education system is in need of a dramatic change in order to serve the needs of our varying population,
support for the arts is lacking in public schools. A large issue that is plaguing our nation is the rate of high
school drop outs. According to a study conducted by the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities,
approximately two million students attend high schools that have a fifty percent drop out rate (Presidents
Committee, 28). Furthermore, the Presidents Committee attributes a handful of dropouts in the United States
due to lack of interest, claiming, Studies about the reasons for these trends provide a remarkably consistent
picture: students report being bored, almost half saying that classes are not interesting (this is true even of those
with high grades who drop out), and over two-thirds say they are not inspired to work hard and that too little
was expected of them (Presidents Committee, 28). Equally as pressing, a large amount of students who do
graduate from high school do not have the set of skills necessary in participating actively in college and in the
21
st
century workforce. The Presidents Committee recognized such skills as habits of mind, [that] include
problem solving, critical and creative thinking, dealing with ambiguity and
complexity, integration of multiple skill sets, and the ability to perform cross-disciplinary work.
The issues that are infecting our public education system are challenging for schools, teachers, and
students because they are being pushed to find new ways to motivate students and are lacking the support to do
so. With a commitment to serve a culturally diverse population coupled with a large portion of students of low
socio-economic status, educators are having to step out of the box to reach their students in creative ways. For
example, the Presidents Committee claims that in New York City, schools in the bottom third of graduation
rates receive a significantly lower amount of arts education, which forces educators to innovate creative
activities into their curriculum, which can be challenging when the overall concern of many school districts is to
raise standardized testing scores (32). Therefore, as a future educator, I see a strong correlation between values
achieved through the process of making art and values necessary to be successful in secondary education and in
the workforce.
At Bahia Vista Elementary School, a predominately Hispanic school whose students are the primary
English speakers in their home, a large portion of college preparation and academic support happens while
children are at school. The enouragment for students to finish high school and attend college is evident
everywhere; in the classroom, in the schools hallways, and in posters around campus. The LEAP program at
Bahia Vista is an integral piece of the elementary schools bigger plan for their students because it brings in
teaching artists to do project-based learning activities in an after-school program. Through this method of
teaching the arts, the LEAP program is able to overcome obstacles rooted in funding and staffing, while
providing meaningful education to participants.
Just as the visual and performing arts teach studio habits of mind, LEAP seeks to Develop critical
thinking skills by encouraging students to ask Is this how I? instead of How do I? (leapusa.org). On the
Engage. Think. Act. section of their website, LEAP offers tips for educators who are working with students to
foster critical thinking and creativity. There are three that stand out the most to me because of their similarity
with studio habits of mind. First, LEAP advises educators to help students understand what they have learned
and how it applies to the real world. I see this as having similarities to developing craft. Second, LEAP
recommends that students attempt to answer their own questions first, before being answered by a teacher or
instructor. In the studio habits of mind framework, this is comparable to engage and persist. Last, LEAP
suggests students attempt to solve a problem by themselves in addition to collaborating with others. The skill of
reflection serves the same purpose as students learn to evaluate their work and decipher what could be changed
or done differently.
As a teaching artist who was part of Dominican Universitys partnership with the LEAP program at
Bahia Vista Elementary, I feel that I am able to help schools, teachers, and students facing challenges in regards
to access to the arts through my interaction with children. Modeling the skills that are part of the studio habits
of mind and demonstrating my satisfaction and pleasure to be a university student are extremely valuable
because they are both aspirations available to students.


Arts Revival

In order to break the cycle of high rates of dropouts and lacking skill sets among graduates, we must
focus on arts integration. Defined by the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities, Arts integration
is the practice of using arts strategies to build skills and teach classroom subjects across different disciplines
(39). This is important because the benefits are significant to one hundred percent of students. Those of whom
dropout due to lack of interest or the perceived thought that they will be unable to be successful will have the
resources to inspire and encourage positive thinking. Not only will they receive arts instruction, but also the
traditional academic areas will be brought to life through visual and performing arts. Likewise, all graduates
will leave high school with habits of mind that are applicable and conducive their participation in college and in
the workforce.
For example, the Presidents Committee mentions using the arts to teach young English learners. It has
been proven that emergent readers are unable to grasp a new language in abstract forms of instruction without
supplementing it with concrete and literal methods of teaching. Integration of the arts would help students feel
successful in their academics, incite personal development of mind, and teach academic subjects. Furthermore,
the Presidents Committee recognizes the importance of appealing to multiple styles of learning through
repetition and the availability of multiple modalities of instruction (40). This means that if a child writes
something, sings it, and manipulates it with physical materials, they are more likely to retain information than
simply participating in one activity. Again, in doing this, students acquire the feeling of personal success,
creative thinking, and academic gains.
To make arts integration a possibility for all schools, the results of studies that support arts as a necessity
need to be made public and available as a reference to educators. As noted by the Presidents Committee, The
[teaching] field has eagerly awaited the results of the evaluation synthesis, and its release will likely stimulate
even greater interest in the techniques and outcomes of arts integration (40). With the implementation of
Common Core State Standards and emphasis on higher order thinking, I believe that arts integration will
become more common.
Last, to make arts integration a success, I believe that schools must partner with community members who are
willing to donate their time to administer project based learning as well as offer inspiration for teachers in
regards to the possibilities of arts integration. Programs such as LEAP are crucial to providing a robust
educational experience afterschool. Given the impact of such programs, it would be great to see this available
during regular school hours as well.
Overall, I do not think that it is fair to place blame on government agencies, school districts, or teachers
for our lack of arts in public education. While our focus has been on academic rigor, I do not believe that
anybody would realize the impact that the arts have until they were nearly extinct. Many educators have not
integrated the arts into their curriculum because they simply were not trained to do so. On the other hand, I
believe that we have the capacity to change pace in our methods of education, bringing success and valuable
skills to schools everywhere.