"Creativity is Freedom, Creativity is a Unicorn."
The text states that when asking what creativity is, students are able to come up with amazing and strong worded answers that are all unique and different but, when asked how to apply it to education the answers were boring and non-expressive of the great things said before. Creativity is seen only as incorporated with the visual arts but it should also seen as being okay to make mistakes in other parts of life and school. A nonthreatening environment means that the students are still given structure and behavior management but they are no longer afraid to make mistakes. The students are able to take on the messy trial of learning whether they fail or succeed but they are constantly learning from it. Arts integration is all about collaboration and assessment meaning many teachers can collaborate together whether they are art teachers or not and assessment for checking the engagement and cooperation of students.
Lets Integrate the Arts!
The arts play an essential role in providing each student with a well-rounded education that meets the needs of the whole child. Although classes strictly focused on music, visual arts, drama, dance, and art history are critical, integrating the arts across the curriculum is also key to ensuring that students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Arts integration has been defined by teaching artists, teachers, education specialists, and leading arts organizations as "an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form." When the arts are integrated, students are more engaged because they take on a more active role in learning by experiencing things directly and expressing themselves in multiple ways. When the arts are integrated well, students are involved in making decisions about their learning.
State Achievement or Personal Achievement?
Arts education advocates argue that while teaching art for art's sake is certainly beneficial for all students, studies also show that participating in the arts can actually boost student achievement in other academic areas. Therefore, arts groups are partnering with schools to provide professional development for teachers interested in integrating arts instruction across content areas. Learning, Arts, and the Brain shows that music training can bolster young people's memorization skills, providing them with the "ability to manipulate information in both working and long-term memory." Developing and implementing a curriculum that meaningfully integrates arts instruction requires a great deal of professional development and planning, collaboration, and teamwork among educators. The benefits of arts instruction cannot be measured by standardized tests, but students can certainly use the skills they gain in areas outside of the arts. Integrating the arts just may help to keep students interested and involved.